Senate Bill 2988 of the 2008 Legislative Session, known as the Mississippi Employment Protection Act (MEPA), requires employers to participate in E-Verify. Implementation dates for businesses are as follows:

•  All Mississippi agencies and political subdivisions, all public contractors and private employers with 250 or more employees by July 2008;
• private employers with 100 or more employees by July 2009;
• private employers with 30 or more employees by July 2010; and
• all employers by July 2011.

Penalties for non-compliance include the cancellation of public contracts, ineligibility for public contracts for up to three years, and a private employer may have its business license revoked for up to one year.

It a discriminatory practice for an employer to terminate a work-authorized employee while retaining a non-work authorized employee, if the two employees had substantially similar job duties.

The law provides a "safe harbor" from prosecution if the employer is properly using the E-Verify system.

Verify I-9's E-Verify service satisfies the requirements of the Mississippi E-Verify law. Ask about our special offer for Mississippi employers!

• Text of law

[NOTE: This information is presented for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, neither expressed nor implied. You should consult with legal counsel before acting on the information found on this page or for any employment law matter. This information is subject to change without notice. This page was last updated on June 12, 2009.]